Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-26
A GREAT STOCK RANCH.
One of the Finest Bre eding Farms in the
Country Located In Butte County.

Country Located in Butte County.
EDS RECORD UNION: Butte has long been
noted for its fine stock of all kinds. The
sheep of her plains and foothills have pro-
duced woods that have been eagerly sought
after by Eastern buyers and local manufact-
urers. Her cattle in the elden days of
native clover and wild oats, before the pillow
drove the herds before it, were in ready de-
mand in all our markets. Her horses have
been noted as the best in the State. Her
love and appreciation of all kinds of
domestic animals has been distinguish
ing characteristic of the people of Butte
county. There are few places in this coun-
try of fine stock where finer draft, road and
farm horses are seen than in and around
Chico.
If was called upon to say which county
of this State had the best farm horses, |
should be compelled to say that Butte
county, so far as have seen, had the pref
erence. From the earliest days of the
American settlement to the present time
some of the best running, trotting and draft
blood has been introduced here, and that
without regard to expense. The entries
and exhibits at the District Fairs here and
past attest that fact. | had known all this
in general way, but did not know till
yesterday that this county had one of the
largest and best horss-breeding ranches on
this coast was driven to the ranch of
D. NJ. Reavis, two and one-half miles from
Chico, and what | saw there was revela-
ton to me. Every body knows the ranch
of General Bidwell by heart. Everyone
who comes here visits that place and writes
of its beauties and its fertility. Everybody
has heard of the great Parrot & Pratt
ranches, with their thousands of acres of
wheat, scores of six and eight horse-plow
teams, header wagons and big steam
thrashers but Mr.. Reayis' ranch is little
known outside of the county He has
5000 acres of land on Chico and Edgar
creeks, and it is within the bounds of truth
to say that there is no deeper, richer,
warmer soil on this green earth than these
5000 acres. There is not an acre of waste
land, and it is all in use entire for grain or
pasture. 1t was once covered with gigantic
oaks and other forest growths, most of
which have been removed, leaving only
enough to make it one great oak park.
This place lies between the California and
Oregon Railroad and the Sacramento river.
upon which it has frontage of five miles
Like most of these great ranches, Mr.
Reavis has buildings, houses and barns
almost without number. The Enclosures
are all made by high post and board fences,
reasonable and humane improvement
upon the barbarous barbed-wire fences
The Colusa road runs through this place,
and it is thoroughly graded and graveled
road, such as can be seen in Yolo county,
and such as are SO much needed in Sacra-
| mento and other central and modern coun-
| ties of this State. Of this 5000 acres about
5000 acres are in wheat and barley and
the other 5000 are used for pasture. One
| thousand acres are in alfalfa, and on these
| delightful April days it presents beautiful
sight Two thousand acres are still in the
native grasses, but will soon be put in
| alfalfa.
Mr.. Reavis has 800 brood mares that
have large infusion of the best blood of
| this country. The mares represent the
| blood of Blackbird, Buccaneer, Singleton,
| Director, Monroe Chief, Swigert, Mann
brine Wilkes, and the thoroughbred BAYS
water. This place has been the home and
fountain-head of the Blackbirds, which is
SO greatly favored by that horse authority,
J. G. Simpson. Here is the old veteran,
Reavis' Blackbird, now % years old. He
was brought here by Mr. Simpson, and was
sired by Simpsons Blackbird one of the
best campaigners ever in the Mississippi
Valley. Thirty-one years ago the writer OF
tins saw simpsons Black bird beat the best
| trotters at the Iowa State Fair, in straight
heats. Reavis' Blackbird was once a lei
black but now he is nearly white, still be
retains the look of young horse. He is
the sire of Berlin and Ned Forest, and the
grand-sire of Thapsin and Pansy, and from
him many good ones on the road and track
have sprung. Dan Denison once cam.
palgned him and gave him record OF
2:22, and, although years have gone by
since then, no doubt one of Dams gentle
Apache yells would be recognized by the
old horse, and awaken him from his quiet
reveries. There is more of the blood OF
this horse in Mr.. Beavis' stock than of all
| other strains
Besides Blackbird, Mr.. Reavis is breed
ing to Monroe Chief, hero OF some of the
most exciting campaigns of the great East.
ern circuit, and four-year-old Steinway.
Swigert colt. From his finest blooded
mares ne will from these sires produce
track horses and roadsters. His larger
mares are being bred to Percheron stall
hon and the best Kentucky jacks. His
| Percheron stallion is one of the best | have
ever seen. He is large without being coarse
and unwieldy. He is an imported horse. a
blood bay, and from him Mr.. Reavis will
produce Just the horses needed for the
pillow, the header, thrasher and grain
wagon. There is ready cash sale for all
the good sized mules that can be raised
and this ranch has large number of them
Mr.. Reavis has now six men breaking
three-year-old mules. In all, this ranch
has LOCO head of horses, and a finer-l look
ing lot cannot be found in this State.
one OF the best mile tracks of the coast
| is on this ranch. Mr.. Reavis has William
johnson, driver well known to the cir
| cult. framing his tracl hOrSac cd
VINO won great race at the State Fair. is
| looking well and promises to be winner
or make some of them get there in very
last time. Sacramento, five year old, by
Blackbird, out of thoroughbred Hercules
mare, shows fine form and good speed for
this time OF the year. A four-year- old, by
Blackbird, also looks and acts well. The
three-year-old, Vic. n. by Blackbi d. Ellen
Swigert is especially promising. johnson
says, g she is might handy" and thinks she
can trot, and | think so TOO. Your horse
men had better look out for her in the fall
circuit. Besides these, Reavis has halt
dozen young Blackbirds, Directors and
Monroe Chiefs that will bear watching
he has also 200 head of fine cattle, and
among them a lot of herd-book Herefords.
He thinks very highly of these Herefords
and will increase their number from time
to time. He says they are hardy, mature
early. and make large quantities of the
right kind of beef. In addition to the horses,
mules and cattle, Mr.. Reavis has 1900
head OF Berkshire hogs. And this is the
stock ranch that so little is known about.
With this place Mr.. Reavis has 5000 acres
IN Lassen county, where he has 5000 head
OF cattle and also large numbers of horses
and cattle. IarH,u
Chico, April %, 1887.